Taiwan’s Chan Yung-jan and her sister Chan Hao-ching advanced to the semifinal of the PTT Pattaya Open on Wednesday after a win over a second-seeded pair.
The sisters beat Akgul Ammanmuradova of Uzbekistan and Renata Voracova of the Czech Republic 7-6, 6-3.
Chan Hao-ching told the Central News Agency that her match performance began to improve as she became more used to her rivals’ style of play.
Commenting on her partner’s performance, Chan Yung-jan said her 17-year-old sister was not as hesitant as in the previous round, which put a lot of pressure on the opposing team.
Chan Yung-jan, 21, also suggested that her sister keep her emotions under control so as to avoid making mistakes.
Also at the event, Taiwanese female player Chang Kai-chen teamed up with Sania Mirza of India to defeat Noppawan Lertcheewakarn of Thailand and Jessica Moore of Australia 6-7, 7-5, 10-0 and advanced to the second round.
Meanwhile, Vera Zvonareva won her 12th straight match at the Pattaya Open by beating Thai qualifier Nungnadda Wannasuk 6-1, 7-5 in the second round yesterday.
The two-time defending champion won the first four games before Wannasuk shook off the nerves and held serve for the first time.
Zvonareva reeled off the next two games to take the opening set, and then took a 5-1 lead in the second before Wannasuk battled back to level it at 5-5.
Zvonareva regained her concentration to take a 6-5 lead and the 21-year-old Wannasuk double-faulted twice in the final game for the No. 3-ranked Russian to complete the win in 76 minutes.
SAN JOSE OPEN
REUTERS, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA
Canadian Milos Raonic continued his impressive early-season form by beating former world No. 4 James Blake in straight sets in their second-round clash at the San Jose Open on Wednesday.
The confident, big serving 20-year-old showed his mettle in a 6-2, 7-6 triumph to set up a -quarter-final against Lithuanian Richard Berankis, who defeated American Donald Young 6-4, 5-7, 7-5.
Defending champion and top-seeded Fernando Verdasco advanced past American Rajeev Ram in an easy 6-3, 6-2 first-round rout.
Second-seeded Gael Monfils also made it through the first round thanks to a 6-3, 6-2 win over Bradley Klahn.
In the day’s other first-round action, big-serving Croatian Ivo Karlovic knocked off home favorite Ryan Sweeting 6-4, 6-4 while American Robert Kendrick topped Russian Igor Kunitsyn 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.
BRAZIL OPEN
AP, COSTA DO SAUIPE, BRAZIL
Second-seeded Albert Montanes of Spain was knocked of the second round of the Brazil Open by Ricardo Mello of Brazil 6-3, 6-3 on Wednesday.
It was Montanes’ first match in the clay-court tournament after receiving a bye into the second round.
Sixth-seeded Tommy Robredo of Spain, who won the Movistar Open on Sunday in Chile, was also bounced out as countryman Pablo Andujar won 6-4, 5-7, 6-2.
Top-seeded Nicolas Almagro of Spain defeated Joao Souza of Brazil 6-2, 6-2, while No. 3 seed Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil beat Carlos Berlocq of Argentina 6-4, 7-5, and No. 4 seed Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine downed Spaniard Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo 7-5, 6-4.
Fifth-seeded Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina also reached the -quarter-finals, beating Lukasz Kobot of Poland, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, and No. 7 Potito Starace of Italy was a winner over Leonardo Mayer of Argentina 6-4, 7-6 (9). Rui Machado of Portugal defeated Filippo Volandri of Italy 6-2, 6-1.
OPEN GAZ DE FRANCE
AP, PARIS
Maria Sharapova has pulled out of the Open Gaz de France because she says she is still feeling the effects of a viral illness.
The 23-year-old Russian player skipped the reverse singles match in last weekend’s Fed Cup win over France, but had hoped to recover in time to play yesterday against Bethanie Mattek-Sands in Paris.
Mattek-Sands will play either sixth-seeded Andrea Petkovic of Germany or Kristina Kucova of Slovakia in today’s quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, Kim Clijsters moved within one win of taking the No. 1 ranking by rallying to beat Kristina Barrois of Germany 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 in the second round on Wednesday.
The Australian Open champion just needs to win her quarter--final match today to snatch the top spot from Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark.
Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia also moved into the quarter--finals, defeating American teenager Melanie Oudin 6-4, 7-6 (5).
Nadia Petrova of Russia, Andrea Petkovic of Germany, Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium and Sofia Arvidsson of Sweden advanced to the second round.
The last time Clijsters held the No. 1 ranking was in March 2006.
“It didn’t get into my mind,” Clijsters said about the idea of recapturing the top spot. “One more match ... It will be tough. There’s a couple of tough players who might get through.”
Clijsters will play either Jelena Dokic of Australia or Petrova.
WORLD INDOOR
REUTERS, ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS
At the World Indoor Tournament singles second round in Rotterdam yesterday, fourth seed Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic defeated Dmitry Tursunov of Russia 6-4, 4-6, 7-5
Earlier, Andy Murray’s first match since losing his third grand slam final ended in defeat on Wednesday when he was knocked out of the World Indoor Tournament by unseeded Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis.
The world No. 5 and second seed subsided quickly after leading 3-0 in the opening set, losing the first-round match 6-4, 6-1 in little more than an hour.
Baghdatis will face Spaniard Feliciano Lopez in the second round.
In second-round play, Austrian fifth seed Juergen Melzer was dispatched by big-serving Croatian Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-4, but eighth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga avoided joining him through the exit door with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 defeat of fellow Frenchman Michael Llodra.
Djokovic was ruled out of the tournament with a shoulder injury, meaning Sweden’s world No. 4 Robin Soderling tops the draw. Soderling opened with an easy win against Dutchman Robin Haase.
After letting another big lead slip with an error-strewn performance at the French Open on Wednesday, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka felt like getting as far away from the courts as possible. “Just want to quit tennis right now,” Sabalenka said after wasting a lead of a set and two breaks in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 loss to Diana Shnaider in the women’s singles quarter-finals. “We’ll see in few days. Hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally.” Sabalenka’s wait for a first French Open title continues despite the four-time major winner leading 4-1 in the second set and being two points from victory while
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